Guidelines for the Rapid Ecological Assessment - Convention on ...

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Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword ...................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................... v EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................. 6 1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... ........ 10 2. SCOPE AND APPROACH OF THESE RAPID ASSESSMENT GUIDELINES ................... 11 3. WHAT IS “RAPID ASSESSMENT”? ........................................................................ 12 4. ISSUES TO CONSIDER WHEN DESIGNING A WETLAND RAPID ASSESSMENT ......... 12 5. WHEN IS RAPID ASSESSMENT APPROPRIATE? ..................................................... 14 5.1 Addressing socio-economic and cultural features of biodiversity ....................... 15 5.2 Assessing threats to wetland biodiversity ....................................................... 16 5.3 <strong>Rapid</strong> assessment in relation to monitoring ................................................... 16 5.4 <strong>Rapid</strong> assessment and trends in biological diversity ......................................... 16 5.5 Seasonality ............................................................................................. 16 5.6 Special considerations relating to small island states ........................................ 17 6. A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR RAPID ASSESSMENT ..................................... 17 6.1 Choosing rapid assessment types and outputs <strong>for</strong> different purposes ................... 21 Purpose ................................................................................................ 21 <strong>Assessment</strong> types .................................................................................... 23 7. DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS ................................................................................ 28 7.1 Resources .............................................................................................. 28 Time ..................................................................................................... 29 Money .................................................................................................. 29 Expertise ............................................................................................... 29 7.2 Scope .................................................................................................... 30 Taxonomic scope .................................................................................... 30 Geographic scope .................................................................................... 30 Site selection .......................................................................................... 31 7.3 Sampling and data analysis ............................................................ 31 8. REFERENCES .................................................................................................... 33 Appendix 1 <strong>Assessment</strong> analysis methods and indices ............................................................ 36 Appendix 2 Sampling methods <strong>for</strong> wetland habitats, features and different wetland-dependent taxa .................................................................................. 42 i
Foreword FOREWORD According to <strong>the</strong> Millennium Ecosystem <strong>Assessment</strong> reports, inland water, coastal and near-shore marine ecosystems include <strong>the</strong> most threatened of <strong>the</strong> world’s main habitat types. Demands placed by people on natural resources in and around <strong>the</strong>se wetlands, particularly <strong>the</strong> unsustainable use of water resources, are consequently resulting in rapid changes, especially declines, in biodiversity. This in turn results in significantly reduced capacity of <strong>the</strong> ecosystems to provide <strong>the</strong> important services that are necessary <strong>for</strong> people, in particular to <strong>the</strong> poor and vulnerable communities in less developed countries, as well as <strong>the</strong> planet. Sustaining and rehabilitating, where necessary, <strong>the</strong>se ecosystem services is a key requirement <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> achievement of human development goals and targets. Despite <strong>the</strong> tremendous importance of <strong>the</strong>se ecosystems to human welfare, our knowledge of <strong>the</strong> biodiversity within <strong>the</strong>m is fragmentary at best. There are many reasons <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong>se knowledge gaps. The significant contribution of <strong>the</strong>se ecosystems to human wellbeing has not always been matched by investment in research and management. They also support a very large diversity of life. Some habitats remain difficult to access and sample. The comprehensive assessment of <strong>the</strong>se biological resources requires significant and long-term ef<strong>for</strong>t. We should not <strong>for</strong>get that, <strong>for</strong> some habitats in some regions, scientists have already improved our understanding, despite wide-ranging constraints. Nei<strong>the</strong>r should we ignore <strong>the</strong> role of local communities, who are already armed with considerable understanding of <strong>the</strong>se environments. We need more in<strong>for</strong>mation to be able to manage <strong>the</strong>se systems better. The urgency of biodiversity decline means that such in<strong>for</strong>mation needs to be obtained quickly, using credible methods applied efficiently and effectively. Achieving a significant reduction in <strong>the</strong> rate of loss of biodiversity by 2010 requires substantial ef<strong>for</strong>ts and must be accompanied by scientifically valid approaches to <strong>the</strong> evaluation of our progress. For given locations or ecosystems we need to know better what biodiversity is <strong>the</strong>re, its status, function and value and whe<strong>the</strong>r our ef<strong>for</strong>ts are contributing to improving things. It is primarily <strong>for</strong> this reason that <strong>the</strong>se guidelines have been produced. They present a suite of options <strong>for</strong> rapidly undertaking assessments in different habitat types and under differing technical capacity constraints. They include approaches <strong>for</strong> obtaining data <strong>for</strong> inventories, assessment and monitoring. They focus on biological assessments, mainly at <strong>the</strong> species level but also at <strong>the</strong> ecosystem level. The assessment of <strong>the</strong> social, economic and cultural values of <strong>the</strong> biodiversity of <strong>the</strong>se ecosystems is equally, if not more, important. There<strong>for</strong>e a complementary set of guidelines is being produced to assist with those aspects. These guidelines have been produced through a lengthy and detailed consultative process. But no guidance can be totally comprehensive. We present <strong>the</strong>m as a tool to assist those that need help to try to obtain better in<strong>for</strong>mation effectively. The guidelines should be considered in <strong>the</strong> context of available local capacity and <strong>the</strong> availability of o<strong>the</strong>r sources of assistance with obtaining in<strong>for</strong>mation. In particular, we stress that <strong>the</strong>y should be used, if necessary, as a means to supplement in<strong>for</strong>mation available through traditional and local knowledge. iii
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